Friday, April 6, 2018

Arch Campbell's Weekend Movie Guide (4/6/18)

Emily Blunt stars in A Quiet Place

From our friend, Arch Campbell...

Black Panther - 3½ Stars. Chadwick Boseman breathes life into a new and exciting superhero. As king of a little known African nation, he can bring peace and power to the world; but first, he must settle a family score.

The Death of Stalin - 3½ Stars. Funny but painful history lesson of the dance for power to replace the Soviet dictator, with outstanding performances by Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, and Simon Russell Beale.

A Quiet Place - 3½ Stars. Wildly creative horror story. A family must stay quiet, lest they get eaten by blind, sound-sensitive space monsters.

Game Night - 3 Stars. Jason Bateman and Rachael McAdams get more than they bargain for, on a murder mystery night hosted by Kyle Chandler.

Arch Campbell with Will Ferrell & Zach Galifianakis (r)

The Shape of Water - 3 Stars. Sally Hawkins as a mute cleaning woman, who comes to the aid of a sea creature captured during the Cold War.

Journey's End - 3 Stars. Sobering story of trench warfare during the final year of World War I. Upper class school chums experience the horror of this terrible war.

Blockers - 2½ Stars. Parents vow to prevent their daughters from losing their virginity on prom night. Wickedly funny.

Ready Player One - 2½ Stars. Steven Spielberg's very commercial take on the world of virtual reality.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi - 2½ Stars. Echoes the best elements of the earlier Star Wars films. Runs long and loud. Fans will love.

A Wrinkle in Time - 2 Stars. Disappointing all-star Disney version of a beloved book. A father disappears and three unusual beings bring his children to space to search for him. Say What?

Red Sparrow - 1 Star. Jennifer Lawrence missteps as a Russian ballet star-turned-spy. Her accent fades in and out over the course of an unbelievable plot.

Annihilation - 1 Star. Natalie Portman sci-fi mystery starts with a bang, but ends with a whimper.

Visit Arch's website for his (unrivaled) take on movies. He remains the only other (we're not self-hating) critic, whose opinion we admire and respect.